The Magic Faughter: 9a Memoir of Living with Multiple Personality Disorder

by Jayne Anne Phillips and Jane Phillips

Book Overview

In a memoir that began as a suicide note, the author describes her day-to-day struggles with multiple personalities and her years of therapy with a psychologist who helped her piece together her past.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670859702
• ISBN13: 9780670859702
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Page turner

I have read three other books by people who suffered from dissociative identity disorder (DID): I'm Eve by Chris Sizemore, Fractured Mind, A: My Life with Multiple PersonaIity Disorder by Robert Oxnam, and When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase. I thought this one was the most engaging. "Jane Phillips" is a very good writer. There is no excess verbiage in this book, just enough colorful detail to bring her experience to life. I was reading it in every spare minute because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. The author comes across as very honest and insightful, open about her flaws and mistakes. I was amazed by the mercy she showed to the people who abused her by publishing under a pseudonym and not trying to take revenge. Although much of the story is sad, the author's resilience and sense of humor make it hopeful rather than depressing.

A Look at MPD

This book was hard for me to put down. I was so interested in finding out if Jane Phillips had come to any peace with her disorder, and how she went about doing that. The book focuses on the process of dealing with MPD, rather than the traumatic events which caused her to have MPD. I have a lot of compassion for people living with MPD after reading her book. I don't feel like I understand the disorder, but the book is filled with amazing insights.Thank you for being brave enough to publish such a personal experience.

Excellent allegories to the chaotic thinking of the DID.

The author expressed comparative thinking of a person with DID with everyday examples. I identified with many of her expressions she wrote explaining the struggle to handle the DID while dealing with the outside world. Her explanations of how many inside parts can see a movie and interpret it in all different ways was a good definition of how so many parts can be created by just one incident. I am currently in therapy for DID and I was inspired by her ability to keep going on in therapy because the light to her recovery will come through soon. At times it was difficult to read through the graphic explanations of the trauma because of the experiences I have had and I could identify with the author's pain. I applaud her courage for sharing her life in this book. Thank you for printing it in paperback.

Great and moving

The author shows clearly what being a multiple can mean for personal, but also professional life. She also speaks about the health-insurance problems, which have a major importance in the treatment plannings. She mixes very well feeling and emotions with practical aspects of living with that condition.

A very informative book on a sensitive subject, excellant!

I chose this book for a college book report. I am studying in the field of human services and this book helped me to understand a very difficult illness. I have personally worked with a young woman with DID and I now feel that I have more insight into her illness. Thank you for such an enlightening novel.